Category: Articles

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Is the Pixel 9 Pro “Cheating” its RAW Files?

Well… No… But kinda? Maybe?

When I talk about camera sensor improvements, I’m mostly impressed by sensor sizes getting larger. When we increase sensor surface area, we see more dramatic improvements to photo quality. The aesthetics of a photo change with a larger sensor, and we can demonstrate things like depth of field and bokeh more easily.

That’s not to say that staying at the same sensor size, and adopting new tech at that size, can’t ALSO bring benefits. It’s just, in my time reviewing phones, I haven’t seen where the “tech” upgrade has ever been as noticeable as the “size” upgrade.

Recently, one of the few times that pattern has been challenged was while reviewing the Xiaomi 14. My expectations were REALLY low as it was another phone with a 1/1.3″ type sensor, but this time the sensor was from Omnivision.

In my experience, Omnivision made the “cheap” sensors for companies that wanted to save money on manufacturing.

With my expectations that low, it was shocking to see the Xiaomi 14 outperform the Galaxy Note 24. Had sensor tech (at comparable sizes) finally made a noticeable impact on low light performance? Did this change the whole game?
Continue reading “Is the Pixel 9 Pro “Cheating” its RAW Files?”

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EZQuest USB-C Slim Hub Gen 2 Review: Are You Ready for the ALL USB-C Life?

I love my Surface Laptop 7. I HATE its available ports.

Two USB-C and one USB-A are woefully incomplete in an era where I really do want to use this machine as a desktop replacement. It feels like the product is incomplete, and it requires an accessory purchase to realize the laptop’s potential.

If I need to use a hub, can I get away with ONLY USB-C ports? It’s an EXPERIMENT! Continue reading “EZQuest USB-C Slim Hub Gen 2 Review: Are You Ready for the ALL USB-C Life?”

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So Long Netflix. We had a good run…

That’s it. We pulled the plug.

We got the announcement from Netflix that our Basic plan was being discontinued. We would no longer get ad-free viewing on one screen. Netflix had the gall to frame this as a way to reduce our spending by incorporating ads in our content. We paid for the Basic plan specifically to avoid ads in our streaming. If we wanted to pay more for content AND watch ads, we’d just sign up for a cable streaming package.

We broke the news to our daughter, and she took it remarkably well. Maybe it was because she was watching Big City Greens on Disney+ and wasn’t really paying attention. Kids are funny like that.
This month we’re cancelling Amazon Prime and Netflix, but Netflix stings a bit more. Continue reading “So Long Netflix. We had a good run…”

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Edifier Stax S5 Planar Magnetic Bluetooth Headphone Review: Properly Audiophile

They’re pricey, but they’re fantastic.

I love how a planar driver produces sound, and I’m excited to see more and more consumer focused options with closed back designs. Edifier lacks ONE feature for broad consumer adoption, but we can’t fault the sound quality here.

This is a wonderful consumer headphone. Continue reading “Edifier Stax S5 Planar Magnetic Bluetooth Headphone Review: Properly Audiophile”

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OnePlus Buds Pro 3 Review: Absolute BANGERS!

Top tier earbuds. Full stop.

These are feature complete, high quality audio gadgets, that go toe-to-toe with all the top consumer brands. They might COST less than AirPods, but don’t think that means they’re “less good”.

Here’s a quick look! Continue reading “OnePlus Buds Pro 3 Review: Absolute BANGERS!”

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Maybe Stop Shilling for Apple’s AirTags? Google’s Find My Device Network is JUST Getting Started…

It’s time for another round of hack tech “reviews” comparing Google products against Apple products. This round?

Location trackers.

I’ve been pretty vocal on the topic for the last year, pointing out how Apple used its size to bully competitors, and how in this specific instance, Apple fell far short anticipating concerns with AirTag privacy and security.

After a year-long delay (caused by Apple), folks on Android are finally getting access to tags, cards, and clips that offer up networked location tracking capabilities.

And in the first week that these products are hitting Google’s network, it’s time for Hack Tech “reviewers” to declare Apple “the winner” in a completely unfair comparison. Continue reading “Maybe Stop Shilling for Apple’s AirTags? Google’s Find My Device Network is JUST Getting Started…”

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Suing Apple is a necessary step in challenging our perception of Big Tech…

It’s 2003, and I’m working for a small firm that manages tech sales and support for one of the labs in New Mexico. My main job is literally manually translating purchase orders and product requests from an ancient order system at the firm to communicate with an ancient UNIX system at the lab. When I’m not transferring data and approving requests though, I work with the sales teams, support teams, and I spend a lot of time in their warehouse taking systems apart. It’s a great job.

We ran two main contracts that would completely change the entire course of my life. We sold and supported HP systems and Apple systems. Continue reading “Suing Apple is a necessary step in challenging our perception of Big Tech…”

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It’s time for Qualcomm to clear the air on X Elite…

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t fantastically anxious about the launch of Qualcomm’s new PC chip. While there’s always been a fun (if ruthless) rivalry between Intel and AMD, the computer scene gets a lot more interesting when an outside player can come in and disrupt.

I’ve been preaching the benefits of ARM based PCs for a while now, and I genuinely believe a lot of folks out there would have preferred having better battery life away from a charger over the more traditionally powerful laptops and convertibles offered over the last several years, even for some issues with software compatibility.

I felt validated in this when Apple switched all of their laptops and desktops over to ARM System on Chips (SOCs).

Qualcomm has offered solutions in this market in the past, but their new chip could springboard Windows users into a much more competitive tier opposite MacBooks and Mac desktops.

While we wait for manufacturers like Dell, HP, Samsung, Lenovo, and Microsoft to ship new Windows on ARM devices, I feel it’s time Qualcomm helped us understand the X Elite a little better.

Specifically, how much power does X Elite consume? Continue reading “It’s time for Qualcomm to clear the air on X Elite…”

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